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Fine Arts and Art History

Students study the visual arts to develop art literacy and critical-thinking skills. GW’s arts program, part of the arts and humanities discipline in the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, is enhanced by the University’s proximity to and partnerships with world-class art museums and libraries. In studio arts, students learn to create across a variety of media while studying relevant historical and theoretical issues. Through the art history curriculum, students gain an in-depth understanding of art’s breadth, tradition and evolution from the Bronze Age to today and from regions spanning the globe.

Related Majors, Minors, and Concentrations

Related majors are American studies, museum studies and interior design. Students may also minor in a variety of subjects.

What can I expect to learn in the Fine Arts and Art History program at GW?

Subjects within the field include new media, painting, drawing, photography, sculpture and ceramics as well as the history of art and architecture from around the world.

What is the Fine Arts and Art History community like at GW?

We challenge our students to think beyond the classroom, to interpret visual arts within a broader visual culture and to innovate critically and creatively from both contemporary and historically grounded perspectives.

What is the Fine Arts and Art History community like at GW?

Visiting Artists

The Visiting Artist and Scholar Program provides students with opportunities to interact with innovative creators and thinkers from across the country. Recent visitors include Mungo Thomson, Kerry Tribe, Joan Kee, Anne Wagner, Meredith Martin and Walead Beshty.